


The Monster You Made Me

by AwakeAndAliveSpartan



Series: The Demon AU [3]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: A What-if AU of the AU, F/M, Read pt. 1 before this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-02
Updated: 2017-07-01
Packaged: 2018-10-26 18:41:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10792470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwakeAndAliveSpartan/pseuds/AwakeAndAliveSpartan
Summary: It's said one event can change the rest of your life. So what happens if it happened the way you never intended? What monsters would be unleashed and who would fall? And what hell would be created? Grant never thought that the world would do him wrong again and turn against him.What would happen if SHIELD never gave Grant that second chance?





	1. You Lit the Flame and Let Them Burn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What if...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read part one (Always You and I) before this! This isn't going to make a lick of sense if you don't!

(The Day of Grant Ward’s Trial)

“Unfortunately, Agent Ward, we cannot allow a  _ thing  _ such as you to be out in the real world. You are far too dangerous and, consequently, need to be contained.”

The color drained from Grant’s face and he suddenly forgot how to breathe, “W-Wait.” he stammered. “Just give me another chance!” He suddenly stood to his feet, causing his chair to fall over backwards behind him. “What happened was just a  _ mistake _ ! I don’t even remember what the hell happened! I shouldn’t be punished for that.”

“And what if we do give you another chance?” a higher-up questioned. “And what if that monster decides to rip apart a few more agents? Or maybe even civilians. We cannot allow for that to even be an option. So you must be contained. We may not go as far as executing you, but we cannot allow you to be an agent anymore. 

We’ll have you detained and transported to one of our more secure locations that will be able to handle the extent of your powers.” the higher-up continued. “Perhaps the Fridge would be the most suitable place for something such as you.”

A growl ripped from Grant’s chest as he stepped forward, his panic all but gone. The higher-ups stood to their feet and stepped away. “I am not a  _ thing _ . I am one of the best damn agents you have and you’re turning on me just like that?!” he cried, a red light starting to seep into his eyes. “After all I’ve done for SHIELD?! Now you’re acting like I’m just another monster.”

“Grant,” Coulson warned, approaching Grant and placing a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t do this.”

Grant hissed and shoved Coulson away, causing the older agent to fall to the ground. “Get the fuck away from me. You were supposed to vouch for me!” he screamed, his voice morphing into a deep growl. “You didn’t help! You’re just like the rest of them!”

Another one of the higher-ups stepped further back and reached for his phone. “I need several heavily-armed guards in here.” he began into the device. “Ward's gone-”

“Shut up!” Grant screamed, spinning around as flames rippled from his skin. “I don’t need any guards! Just leave me alone and let me have another chance!” He snarled to reveal a mouth full of razor-sharp fangs and his ears were starting to grow longer little by little. There were even faint traces of the black rock-like material starting to crawl its way up from the tips of his fingers. If he wasn’t dealt with soon, the monster would come ripping its way out of him. 

Grant couldn’t believe that the higher-ups had given up on him just like that. He had been their star agent for the past two and a half years. Now they wanted him caged like some kind of animal all because of something he couldn’t help. To him, they were now just like the rest of the world. Maybe they never really even cared for him. Maybe they just wanted to use his powers to their advantage. And now that they couldn’t use him anymore, they were just going to throw him away to the wolves. 

No, he couldn’t lose everything that he had fought for. He couldn’t let them prove that he was always just a monster. He couldn’t let them tear apart his life. And most of all, he couldn’t let them tear Skye away from him either. 

He would see them all burn in his own flame before he would let that happen.

“Grant, please.” Coulson warned him again, slowly rising to his feet. “Don’t let it end up like this. We can work something out. We can-”

“Don’t give that shit! Coulson, don’t you see that they clearly don’t care about me anymore?!” Grant screamed, clawing at his own arms as he could feel the rock crawl its way up his skin. “There’s nothing to work out anymore! Stop acting like you can fix things!”

“Agent Coulson, you need to step away from him.” a higher-up ordered. “He’s clearly unstable and need to be detained now.”

“You can’t do this! Think of everything that he’s done for the sake of SHIELD!” Coulson argued, taking a step forward and ignoring the fact that Grant looked as though he was about to erupt. “Please, just let things settle down just a bit and we can talk this out. Grant doesn’t deserve to be caged like some kind of animal for the rest of his life. You’re making a huge mistake.”

“If you want to question our authority, Agent Coulson, please feel free to hand over your badge.”

Coulson shut his mouth, his eyes flickering uneasily towards Grant, whom of which was gripping his head in his now-clawed hands. Honestly, he was too afraid to try and say anything to the younger agent to try and comfort him. He was scared that he would say the wrong thing and would end up making him explode. And, truly, it looked as though Grant was almost at that point.

Grant spun around and glared at the higher-ups, his eyes nothing but blood-red orbs, “Leave him the hell out of this.” he growled, his voice extremely strained. “Leave us alone, leave me alone.”

“Unfortunately, we can’t do that, Mr. Ward.” 

A higher-up nodded and suddenly several armed men came bursting into the room. Grant froze up and hissed at them, sending a sudden blast of flame their way. But they only dodged the blast of hellfire and went to surround Grant, all obviously ready to take him down and drag him far away. 

Grant’s arms were nothing but blackened rock now, which was starting to crack apart and shine with a hellish light. It wouldn’t be long before the barrier in his mind snapped and the monster took him over. And it wouldn’t be long before people died. 

He didn’t trust humanity at all. You could call it a part of his demonic instinct. A part of him felt as though he was better than them and another part wanted as many humans as possible to die. Perhaps it was only Skye and Coulson who sated this instinct. But this betrayal by SHIELD was enough to feed it and to turn it into what it was always meant to be. 

Truly, if anything, this was Grant Ward’s demonic rebirth.

Grant screamed out as the guards all tackled him. He may had been the strongest being within SHIELD, but there was nothing he could do against several of SHIELD’s elite. Well, there was one thing.

Flames jutted out of his skin, knocking the guards aside like they were mere ragdolls. Grant straightened up and practically bellowed out an animal-like roar. Coulson’s mouth grew dry at the sight, only because he could no longer recognize the kid that he had adopted. 

Grant’s ears jutted out from the sides of his head as his mouth was twisted into a nasty snarl, which showed his mouth full of fangs. His eyes were nothing but flames and the rock was starting to crawl up his neck as his tail swished violently behind him. And Coulson could’ve sworn that small horns were starting to break through the skin of his forehead. 

No, this wasn’t Grant. This was the demon that had always lived inside of him. 

“Leave me alone!” he screeched, his voice far from his own. “Get away from me. I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!”

“Someone sedate and detain him now!” a higher-up barked, trying to find somewhere to hide from the beast that was Grant. “Before he kills someone!”

The guards all lunged at Grant again and he swatted at one, causing them to fly into the opposite wall with a sickening thud. Three of the guards all pounced on him and held him down. He roared again, trying to get them off, but he fell silent as he felt something pierce the nape of his neck. 

A sedative. They had sedated him. And he knew that SHIELD had created a formula that was strong enough to take him down and near seconds. He could feel his eyes grow heavy as his features returned to normal and he looked up towards Coulson for some kind of answer.

“Grant, I’m so sorry.” Coulson pleaded with him as two more guards came up and held him back. The higher-ups clearly wanted no one near Grant at all. “I’ll try everything I can. I’ll-”

“Shut up.” Grant slurred, his body slumping forward as the sedative fully knocked him out. The guards that held him down pulled him to his feet and placed some kind of handcuff mechanism around his wrists. Something that SHIELD had specifically designed just for him. 

Coulson’s stomach dropped as he looked back towards the higher-ups, looking for an answer to what would happen next. But he found himself speechless. He couldn’t muster the strength to even utter a single word. They had won. They now had his son and there was nothing he could do about it.

“Take him to the transport and make sure that he doesn’t wake up. There are agents waiting at the Fridge to take him into their custody. He’ll be locked in the lowest part of the prison where he won’t be able to get out.” a higher-up barked, glaring at Coulson. “Ward is now stripped of his title of agent and his SHIELD-issued belongings will be confiscated. 

He is both a monster and a murderer. We cannot allow such to have free reign in this world.Surely you can understand, Coulson. That  _ demon _ is a threat to humanity and we must deal with him before it’s too late. 

There are no second chances for him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this has been in my mind since I finished part one and I decided go ahead and write it since the android AU isn't doing well. This goes back to the original AU, which is way darker than part one. This is basically what would've happened if SHIELD didn't trust Grant and treated him like the monster they feared he was. I hope that you enjoy! Please leave a kudos or a comment!


	2. Yeah, Something Changed in My Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Skye reacts to the news that Gran'ts been locked and just a peek at how far Grant has fallen already.

(Sometime Later)

“What the hell do you mean that Grant’s been locked-up?!”

Coulson grimaced as the earth beneath him began to shake. Honestly, he didn’t know to who was more dangerous, Grant or Skye. “Skye, please listen to me. I did everything I could to persuade them that he’s a good man. They just couldn’t see past the monster…” He trailed off and shook his head, “I’m so sorry. I failed the both of you. Now Grant’s in the toughest SHIELD prison out there and there’s nothing I can do about it. I’m sorry.”

Tears stung in Skye’s eyes and she was doing her best to hold back her powers. She didn’t need to lose control. She didn’t need to end up like her husband. “What…. What are they going to do to him?” she asked quietly, looking down towards the ground. “What happens now?”

“Their original punishment was execution, but I feel like they have other plans for him. Prisoners don’t get taken to the Fridge just to be executed.” Coulson began to explain lightly, gently placing his hands on Skye’s shoulders and leading her to a chair. “Fridge prisoners are usually super-powered criminals that can’t be contained anywhere else. They’re usually studied in a great degree before they’re disposed of. But for Grant’s case, I’m not so sure. I don’t have access to his files anymore.”

“So he’ll still be killed anyways?”

“If the higher-ups get what they’ve always wanted, then yes.” he answered solemnly. “I fear that they’ve always wanted to exterminate him, they just couldn’t do that because Grant was far too useful for them. Now that he’s not, they can get rid of him like the monster they think he always has been.”

“And there’s nothing that we can do about it? At all?”

Coulson sadly shook his head, “They threatened to take away my badge when I started to question them. If I try anything in retaliation, I’ll probably end up in jail as well.” he stated lightly. “They’re adamant about their decision and they won’t change it.”

Skye suddenly stood to her feet, “So you care more about your job than Grant’s life?!” she demanded, the ground lurching again. “You-”

“Skye, stop. Look, I care about Grant as much as you, but I have to step back in a few areas. If we are to help him in any way, I have to keep my job. I won’t be able to do anything if I’m out of a job or behind bars.”

“Can I do anything?”

“No. You’re only level two and Grant’s files are level nine only. You wouldn’t even be able to hack into them. And there’s no way to get into the Fridge at all.” Coulson answered. “The only way in is through a heavily-guarded entrance on the roof and Grant’s on the lowest level.”

“S-So what does that mean?”

“That means we can’t do anything. Grant’s out of our reach now.”

 

(Four Days Later, Elsewhere)

“So this is our newest intake?”

“Yes, sir. It is. And he’s one hell of a specimen. Literally.”

The two agents turned to face the darkened observation window, both frowning as growls rang out from the inside. 

“So, Morrison, what the hell is he?” the higher-leveled agent asked. They were both tasked with patrolling the lowest level of the Fridge. It wasn’t that hard of a job, mostly since all of the prisoners on the level were in tight imprisonment. It was rare for a prisoner to get out.

“I’ve heard a lot of things, but he was actually a SHIELD agent just two weeks ago. I’ve only read a little bit of his file, only because most of it is level nine and you know I’m only level five.” Morrison explained. “But the little bit I read told me everything, Sanchez. He’s an absolute monster.”

Another growl sounded from the cell. 

“He sounds like a wild animal.” Sanchez commented, tenderly eying his gun. “So, what’s his specs?”

“Grant Ward, 22 years old. Was a level three agent before he slaughtered four strike team agents. Then the higher-ups sentenced him to a life sentence with possible execution. Guess the scientists want to have fun with him before they kill him.”

“Then what is he? Some experiment? An animal?”

“Apparently he’s half-demon. SHIELD picked him up when he was fifteen after his house burned down and he’s had his powers since he was ten.” Morrison explained, turning to face the darkened glass again. “He was then accepted into the Academy when he was just 18 and graduated the top of his class four years later. Was only an agent for two and a half years before he lost it on a mission and turned into a monster, which was when he slaughtered those four agents. Don’t know much else.”

Morrison went up to the glass and activated it to where only they could see through it and revealed the ‘monster’ holed up inside of the cell. A lone figure sat in the middle of the room with his legs close to his chest. He picked at his bare feet with a finger as what seemed to be a tail flicked lazily behind him. They could tell that his ears were pointed as well. He was also surrounded by a myriad of books and a MP3 player laid at his feet.

“What’s with all the books and the player?”

“Apparently he has to be kept busy or he gets ideas. He already tried to break out the other day. The agents in charge of him found out that he doesn’t try anything if he’s busy. So they gave him what he likes. Music and books. They can’t put him in stasis or anything of the such because of his biology.”

“But  _ that’s  _ the monster they brought in? Looks like there’s a screw loose in his head or something” Sanchez questioned, crossing his arms. “But he’s a brute, that’s for sure.”

“I wouldn’t mess with him. Apparently they brought him in completely sedated and he severally injured a guard when they were trying to take him into custody. Well, more like he took a 250-something heavily-armed guard and threw him across the room. So he’s strong. And he’s pyrokinetic as well. The higher-ups say that his flames are a force to be reckoned with. He may not look like it, but he’s a complete monster. He must’ve lost himself after SHIELD took him into custody.”

The man in the cell suddenly looked up and glared at the window as though he could see through it as well. His lips curled into a snarl to reveal a set of very sharp fangs and a red light sparked in his eyes before he looked back down and grabbed a book that laid near him on the floor and began to read it. 

“I thought that you set it on one-way.” Sanchez commented, frowning as he watched the half-demon ready his book. “It looked as though he saw us.”

“I dunno.” Morrison shrugged his shoulders. “He  _ is  _ half-demon after all, he must’ve sensed us or something.”

“But he really was an elite up and coming agent? What did they do to him? It looks as though he belongs in a mental hospital.”

“I think he’s always been unstable due to something in his childhood.” Morrison answered. “SHIELD took everything away from him, so he broke. Mental breakdown or something.”

“What did they take away exactly?”

“His job, everything he worked for. And they took him away from his wife. Guess that’s enough to drive a man mad.” Morrison stated, gingerly watching the half-demon as he continued to read his book. “But in this case, that mental break probably went a hell of a lot farther.”

Sanchez laughed and turned his attention away from Grant, “You showing sympathy for a demon?” he asked. “You realize he’s in here for a reason.”

“I know that. But I’m just saying there’s more than we know with what happened to him. You can’t hate a man for going crazy.”

“Yeah, but I can hate one for being a monster.” Sanchez reached out and deactivated the window. “Come on, we don’t need to be standing around here. The bosses will get upset with us if they see us loitering.” He turned and began to walk off. “Especially around the newest intake.”

Morrison huffed and began to follow Sanchez. “Fine.” he muttered. “Hey, what do you think would happen if he managed to escape.”

“Hell, I don’t even want to know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope that I can keep this going. I've never had any luck with sequels. And this already isn't doing so well, but I'll try to keep it going. Keep the comments and kudos coming. (Maybe three comments or so?)


	3. It's Eating at Me From the Inside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grant starts to suspect that something's wrong with him.

(Sometime Later)

Grant quietly sat on the floor, reaching for another one of his books. He liked when it was quiet. He liked when there were no guards outside of his cell that were in complete fear of him. And he liked it when the voice in his head was silent.

It was a nagging and persistent voice that tried to convince him that the best thing to do was to tear his way out of the cell and to kill everyone that would stand in his way. Even though he wanted to see SHIELD dead and burned for their betrayal, Grant didn’t want to make a show. 

Not yet.

At least no one bothered him in here. The guards didn’t want to mess with him. His food and other various things were delivered through some kind of delivery mechanism so no one had to directly interact with him. Even though he hated the notion that he was locked up and facing his impending execution, at least he had finally gotten the peace and quiet that he had always wanted. 

But he was still lonely. 

Solitary confinement in a SHIELD prison meant that absolutely no one could come and see him. Not even his own father or his own wife. Only a few selected guards could even be around his cell. SHIELD didn’t want his presence here or his true identity as a half-demon to be common knowledge. He was their terrible little secret. 

All Grant wanted was to wrap his arms around Skye again. He wanted out of here, but he knew that there was no way out. The Fridge was practically in the middle of nowhere, with nothing around for miles on end. And the Fridge was heavily guarded with the only exit being on top of the building; he knew this much.

Even though Grant had been brought to this cell completely unconscious, he knew that he was on the deepest level of the Fridge. He knew that he was underground. His demonic senses told him that there were several stories above him, all filled with people just as dangerous as him. 

No, Grant knew that he was the most dangerous being here. He could easily slaughter every single person in this building and not even break a sweat. His flames alone were hot enough to melt the Fridge’s infrastructure. Maybe that was a way to get out. He could find a way out of his power-suppressing cell and cause an inferno. Melting the structures of the lowest level would cause the entire building to collapse and kill everyone inside. But where was the fun in that?

He knew that causing the building to collapse would cause SHIELD to  _ suffer _ . It would be a loss, but it wasn’t big enough. Oh, no. Grant wanted to damn SHIELD for betraying him. He was a demon after all, so maybe he should let them burn in hell where they all belonged.

_ “I know I’m strong enough to break out of here, I just have to figure out a perfect time to do so before something happens to me.” _ he thought, placing his book aside and looking towards the darkened window.  _ “If I could cause other inmates to break out….”  _ He laughed to himself,  _ “That would be absolutely perfect. They’ll cause more destruction than me combined and it’ll be more than enough of a distraction so I can get the fuck out of here and get back to Skye. SHIELD’ll be too busy fighting inmates, they won’t even know that I’ve left.” _

Grant looked up towards the ceiling and frowned in thought,  _ “There’s no telling to how many inmates are in this damned prison. I’m usually good at sensing other life forms, but it all feels like one big blob to me. Must be whatever’s in this cell that is nullifying my powers. I don’t even know how those fuckers managed to design something that can cancel out a demon’s powers.”  _ He stopped and looked towards the heavily armed door,  _ “I could still rip that off of its hinges, but that’ll more than likely activate some kind of alarm system. And I don’t need that. _

_ And it’s not like I can wait for any guards to come into here. They’ve got it all set up where they don’t even have to personally interact with me, those cowards.”  _ Grant laughed to himself and suddenly stood to his feet, starting to pace the cell,  _ “They’re all cowards, they’re just afraid that I’ll kill them. And I’ll surely do that if they get in my way. I’ll kill them all. I’ll...” _

He frowned as something suddenly didn’t seem right to him,  _ “No… That’s not right. I’m not…. I’m not a killer.” _

_ ‘Grant you can be the hero and prove your parents wrong.’ _

Grant growled and shook his head, trying to get Skye’s voice out of his head. “No.” he hissed to himself. “Maybe I should just prove them right. No one cares for me but Skye and Dad, so why should I keep risking my ass for humanity when they’re the very ones that fucked me over? I am not their protector, they can go find some other dumbass to do that. 

I’d rather see their blood on my hands than spill my own blood for them. No, I cannot be the hero.” Grant laughed darkly to himself and walked over towards his bed. “I never could. I was just disillusioned and was trying to run away from what I really am. I should just embrace what I have become and…. And I’ll tear down everyone that stands in my way. Starting right with SHIELD.”

Grant broke out into manic laughter as he sat down onto the edge of his bed, “I’ll get the fuck out of here and I don’t care to who will die. As long as I can get to Skye and get her the hell away from here. I…”

His shoulders suddenly slumped as he realized the magnitude of what he was saying, “Wait… What the hell am I doing?” he asked silently, looking up to the ceiling. “This isn’t me. This isn’t what I want. It never has been. I don’t want to become the monster everyone else thinks I am. This isn’t me.”

He drug a hand down his face and brought his feet up onto the bed, pressing his head against his knees. That bloodthirsty feeling from earlier had subsided and now he just felt  _ lost _ . He knew something was majorly wrong with him, but he didn’t want to face the truth. He didn’t want to acknowledge the monster that hid underneath his skin.

None of it was really him.

“What the hell’s going on with me?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there's clearly something happening to Grant. And there's a really big reason to why his attitude towards humanity has suddenly went south. But I ain't telling. Keep the comments and kudos coming! (And is there anyway I could make this better? It's been lacking in reception and I don't know what to do. I know it's a sequel and people actually have to read the first part, but still.)


	4. I've Got This Thing in My Heart I Have to Hide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get worse...

(Three Days Later)

Honestly, Grant Ward felt as though he was going to explode. 

He couldn’t handle being locked up anymore even though he had only been in this cell for about a week. The reality that he wasn’t going to get out of here without a fight had started to set in and he had been reminded, thanks to a violent nightmare, that this was no better than those five years he had spent locked up in his basement. That reminder alone had been enough to rip open old wounds and send him spiraling again. Something that hadn’t happened since his Academy years. 

And old wounds were only fuel for the blossoming inferno. 

Grant sat balled up in a corner of his cell, trying to get the voice inside of his head to stop. The voice had been screaming at him ever since the nightmare the other day. He refused to believe that he was capable of such  _ crude  _ thoughts and had begun to believe that the thoughts belonged to something else entirely. But he also didn’t want to believe that there was something else inside of him at the very same time. He didn’t want to think that he could be even more screwed up than he already was. 

_ “I just want out of here. I want Skye. I want Dad. I don’t like this, I don’t like this.”  _ he repeated over and over inside of his head.  _ “These people don’t understand me. I don’t want to hurt anyone. Those four were just a mistake. I don’t even remember. Why am I to blame?  _

_ They’re afraid for no reason whatsoever. They’re afraid just because I’m different and that I’m powerful.”  _ He curled up further on himself.  _ “They’re idiots, fools. Prejudice against someone that could easily rip them in two. A very big mistake on their part.” _

He looked up at the ceiling as a weird clank sounded out from above,  _ “Maybe I should just kill them anyways and show them no mercy. They’re not worth anything anyways. They’re all better off dead.”  _ he thought.  _ “All that matters to me is Skye and Dad. SHIELD has lost my trust and my kindness. They deserve absolutely no mercy whatsoever.” _

He went to stand up and walk back towards his bed, but he stopped just as he rose to his feet. A hissing noise drew his attention to the ceiling once more.

And that’s when he noticed the fog.

He scampered backwards to try and get away from the fog, knowing just what it was.  _ “Fuck! They’re trying to gas me! There’s no way that they’re sending me to my execution already! But they obviously want me unconscious for some reason or another.” _

Grant covered his mouth and nose with the crook of his elbow, trying to avoid breathing in the foul-smelling gas. He knew that it had to be strong; it had to be potent enough to knock him completely out. And, truly, there was no way to avoid the gas whatsoever. Grant was stuck in a small, confining cell. The gas would get to him sooner or later. Grant just feared what they wanted to do with him. 

After a few minutes of trying to avoid the gas, Grant could feel his eyes start to get heavier by the second. And he found it extremely hard to move.  _ “No… I can’t let them take me. I don’t wanna die today. Just make it long enough to get out. And to kill them…” _ he thought, collapsing to the ground and struggling to crawl away from the door just as it beeped as slid open. 

Through blurred vision, he could faintly make out a white-coated scientist coming in, flanked by two heavily-armed guards. All three were wearing gas masks. 

“Make sure he’s completely out before you grab him.” the scientist said. “We’ll administer the other drugs once we have him situated in the lab. Oh, I’m so glad the higher-ups gave us the all-clear to let me dig around in him. Surprising how they threw him away like trash, especially considering who he is.”

_ “Experiments. They’re going to experiment on me. They’ve been wanting to do that all along. I…”  _ Grant struggled to put coherent thoughts together as darkness started to drag him down.  _ “I can’t let that happen. Don’t wanna die. Kill them all.” _

He looked up just as the guards approached him. They grabbed him and he couldn’t even put up a fight. He slumped over as the gas won and knocked him into unconsciousness. 

“Good. Now drag him into the lab and get him strapped up. Time to see what makes this creature tick.”

And as Grant was dragged away, something rumbled in the deepest recesses of his mind, clawing its way to the surface.

And it would find its way out.

* * *

 

(Elsewhere)

“Coulson, please tell me you have something.”

Coulson looked up as Skye, her eyes still red from tears, slid down into the chair in front of his desk. He sighed and shook his head, “Unfortunately, I don’t.” he answered. “I can’t get access to his files whatsoever. I’ve been completely cut off from him. It’s like he’s been completely erased. SHIELD doesn’t want his identity known, so they just lock everything away.”

Skye looked down and fingered her wedding ring, “I can’t get through to anything. Anything I pulled up has been redacted. Anything that I can read is things that I already know.” she stated quietly. “Everything else is covered up in black ink.”

“Honestly, Grant’s not even a person as far as the higher-ups are concerned. As soon as they realized that he was dangerous, they stashed him away like a wild animal. And, truly, I think that they always wanted to do that. I know that they didn’t trust him whatsoever, but they couldn’t do a single thing to him since he was so talented and furthered the SHIELD cause. But once he did something that they could use against him, they finally had the grounds to lock him away.” Coulson explained lightly, pushing a file aside on his desk. “And they cut him off from everyone he knew.”

“This is so fucked up! I can’t even see him!” Skye explained, gripping the arms of the chair. “There’s no telling to what they’re doing to him in there! And you know that Grant had a bad experience with confinement, so there’s no telling to what that’s done to him as well.” She sighed and look away, “I’m afraid he’s going to lose himself and have a mental breakdown. There’s not much separating him from everything that he fears about himself. You’ve seen what happens when he has a freakout, what if this causes something far worse than that to happen?”

Coulson’s face darkened and he turned away, “Skye, I don’t even want to think about that possibility. I know that the monster was the worst-case scenario, I don’t even want to think that it could be worse than that.” he stated coldly. “Grant has had far too much happen to him, there’s no way that it could get worse for him.”

“That’s what I want to think, too. But I’m not so sure. Every time we think things are okay, they find some way to get much, much worse. First, the monster appeared. Then, Grant got accused of four counts of murder that he technically didn’t commit. Now, he’s locked up in some hellhole. It’s all going downhill, Coulson. There has to be something else. And it’s going to be something far worse than his death.”

“Is… Is there even such a thing?”

“I don’t even want to find out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the shortness, but I was unsure of what to write here. And wow, I'm really making SHIELD the bad guys here. But it's all the catalyst for the storm to come. The very violent storm. (And I'll get to my other fics soon, kind of stuck on them right now.) Keep the comments and kudos coming!


	5. Unleash the Beast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything goes to absolute hell.

(Sometime Later)

Grant slowly came to with all of his senses fogged up. He couldn’t tell where he was or what was going on; he barely even remembered who he was. He just remembered one thing, which was being slowly dragged from his cell as unconsciousness overtook him.

 _“Where…  Where am I?”_ he thought, struggling to turn his head so he could try and figure out to just where he was. In his blurred line of vision, Grant could faintly make out a SHIELD logo etched on the far wall. He was still in SHIELD, which truly meant bad news for him. Something felt very wrong and he knew that he wasn’t about to be killed. They were doing something else to him.

A flash of white appeared in the edges of his vision and he strained his neck to see a doctor (or a scientist, he really couldn’t tell) walking past him. The man clearly didn’t realize that Grant had woken up. Grant had suspected that these people, whoever they were, believed that he was still asleep, drugged with whatever they had attacked him with. Guess they had underestimated just how much it would take to keep something like him out for an extended period of time. And Grant didn’t want to know why they were doing any of this at all.

Another scientist caught his eye and Grant tried to claw at the air, he could tell that he had been restrained. “What are you doing to me?” he slurred, the scientist jumping in response.

The scientist spun around and stared at him in absolute horror, “W-What?” he stammered. “You aren’t supposed to be awake.” He turned to the other white-coats in the room, “Why is he awake? I thought we gave him enough sedation to keep him out for a few hours.”

“Clearly we miscalculated the amount needed.” another scientist deadpanned, coming up towards the restrained Grant. “You, Mr. Ward, are something we do not understand at all. We were thrilled when the higher-ups gave us the all clear to let us poke around in you. We have never experienced a demon before, let alone a human-demon hybrid. You are something on a completely other level to what we have ever studied. It’s time to see what makes you tick.”

“I… I won’t let you do that.” Grant half-growled, pulling at his restraints. Why couldn’t he get out? He should’ve just been able to rip the metallic restraints away, what was going on?”

“Don’t think that you’ll be able to get out so easily. The amount of drugs in your system has your strength deluded and we created a special little serum that nullifies your flames. You can’t do anything here.” the scientist explained, sneering at him. “The drugs, in time, will knock you back out and then we’ll be free to cut you right open. Hopefully you won’t heal too quickly. We need time to see just how you work.”

Grant’s eyes widened in fear. So this was how he was going to die. Not by execution, but by some over-eager scientists ripping him open just to see how his body worked. This was way worse than what he could’ve imagined. He was just some lab rat now, his life at the will of a couple of disgusting scientists. His life meant nothing to SHIELD anymore.

They had truly betrayed him.

“I’ll kill you.” Grant spat, something burning away the grogginess from the drugs in his system. “I’ll kill you all before I let you put a knife to my skin.”

The scientist smiled, “I’d like to see you try.” he stated coldly, reaching for a scalpel off a nearby stand. “I don’t understand why they trusted you to be an agent at all. Demons are nothing but monsters. You never hear a story about a good demon, they’re always the monsters. The killers. The liars. Nothing more, nothing else. You were deluded with the fantasy that you could escape from what you were. And you couldn’t, and that cost the lives of four agents.” He took a step towards Grant and turned the scalpel towards his bare chest, “They should’ve killed you when they realized just what you were.”

“I’m… I’m not a monster. Just because I’m different doesn’t mean a single damn thing.” Grant pulled at his restraints again, at least hoping to get a spark from his palms. “I’m… I’m just a little messed up, that’s all. I swear.”

“I’ve read your file. Even the redacted parts.” the scientist chided. “Your rage is something otherworldly. Then there’s the fact of that _thing_ you turn into. You’re just a born killer. There’s nothing good about you.” He dug the point of the scalpel into Grant’s chest and began to pull downwards, opening a long and ragged cut. “All you’re good for is being a test subject. Things like you don’t deserve to live.”

Grant screamed out in pain as the scientist cut open his chest. He had been shot before, but this was something far, far worse. And it didn’t help that he was completely defenseless. His vision went red before clearing up as he looked at the madman, “Fuck you.” he spat, flexing his fingers as his nails sharpened into claws. “I’ll kill you!”

The scientist smiled once more and stopped his cut, pulling back as he saw the wound start to seal up. “Interesting. His healing ability is remarkable.” he stated. He frowned as he saw Grant’s claws and now-long ears, “And the pain was enough to get you to shift slightly.” He turned to the other scientists, “Make sure the guards are ready. They may have to come in.”

“Burn in hell.” Grant snarled, revealing a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. He groaned as a pain shot through his head. It felt as though something was clawing its way out. Something bad.

“Now, we don’t need that.” The scientist turned back around and dug the scalpel into Grant’s side. “We’re not done here yet. We still have so much we wanna do with you.”

Grant snarled again as his eyes darkened into blood-red orbs, a sure sign of the oncoming fury. He jerked his arms from the restraints, and they luckily shattered this time. Something had burnt the drugs out of his system. And whatever it was, Grant was just about to embrace it. As long as it killed these scientists and got him the hell out of here and back to Skye.

He jumped from the table faster than the scientists could react and had the scalpel lodged deep into the main scientist’s head. A deep growl rumbled from his chest as he turned to face the others, all of which had cowered down.

“S-Someone call the guards! We,”

Grant shot forward and grabbed the scientist by the neck, “I don’t need that.” he hissed. “Listen to me, you’re going to let me go and maybe I won’t kill you. Just maybe. I-“

Grant was cut off as the scientist began screaming at the top of his lungs. With another hiss, Grant threw the man off to the side to silence his screams. Nothing mattered to him now, as long as he could get back to Skye without dying. That’s all he wanted.

“Again, I don’t need that. You fuck with me, I fuck with you.” Grant spat, pointing a long claw at them. “I don’t care to who dies. I really don’t. There’s only two other people other than myself that I really care about. Everyone else can burn in hell. Humanity’s a fucking joke.”

All the scientists could do was cower in fear. They had really hoped that the sedation had of been a little more effective. They had no clue that he was this resilient. Luckily, the lab doors slid open and several guards came running in, all armed to the teeth.

“How did he get out?!”

“We have orders to take him out if he resists! Fire at will!”

A harsh growl ripped from Grant’s throat as he spun around to face the guards, the black rock starting to form on the skin of his arms. “You will not kill me.” he boomed. “You are nothing compared to me. You are like dirt beneath my boots.” He waived a hand and a wall of flame separated him from the guards. “Now, where were we?” he asked, turning back to the frightened scientists. “We….”

Grant trailed off as something burned in his chest, like something clawing its way out. He brought a hand to his chest, feeling a growing pressure in the back of his head. Something was coming and he knew that it was something far worse than the monster.

He stepped backwards, suddenly forgetting just what he was doing. It was like everything was suddenly caving in on him, like a bad panic attack. But several times worse. Grant cried out as he fell to the ground, pain radiating all throughout his body. Something was wrong, really wrong.

Whatever it was, it had been unleashed by the scientist’s antics.

He shot the cowering scientists one last glare before he fell to the ground, something else taking him over. But it wasn’t like it mattered anyways, they would be dead in a matter of minutes. The monster was just the beginning, but the scientist had unleashed a far worse creature. One capable of bringing this building straight to the ground

Grant Ward’s true form was about to be unleashed, and it would burn everything down in hellfire before it would let anything kill it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, oh boy, do I like the dark stuff. I didn't think I could get it darker than the original AU, but I somehow did. Good thing this was just a what-if AU of the actual story. Keep the comments and kudos coming!


	6. This Creature Inside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get so much worse.

The scientists clambered backwards as red hot flames shot from Grant's body, obscuring him from view. No one knew of what was about to come. A sudden, low growl rung out from the mass of flames and the ground started to rumble beneath them. The scientists didn't know what Grant was truly capable of. They hadn't read his redacted files.  

They crawled away from the flaming mass as the earth began to quake beneath them even more. A low roar came out of the flames and an eerie feeling settled over the room. Black smoke was quickly filling the room, soon to suffocate the scientists if the creature in the flames didn't get to them first. 

“W-What's going on?” one of the scientists stammered, slowly rising to his feet. He looked to the others around him before looking back to the flaming mass in front of him. “We weren't told about anything like this. Something seems really off about this.”

“You know that we don't fully understand him, Kerns.” another answered. “We never will. Honestly, there's no telling to what's going on at all.”

The roars and the quakes suddenly silenced and a heavy feeling settled over the room. Kerns frowned and turned back to the flames, “Maybe it's over?” he suggested, taking a step towards them. “Maybe if we're lucky, he fell unconscious again.”

“Yeah, if we're lucky. Kerns, don't go near there.” 

“Look, I'm just investigating, okay?” Kerns shot back, walking towards the flames. “It’s not like the flames themselves can attack me. I just want to see what's going on. We're scientists, remember?” 

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean risking our lives by provoking a freaking demon!” the other argued, standing as Kerns got closer to where Grant had been. “Just stay away from him and let’s take this opportunity to run and seal this place off so he can’t get out! Let’s just go, okay?!”

Kerns continued to approach the flames and stopped when he was only mere feet from the flaming wall. He shook his head and smiled, turning to face the fire, “Look, it’s okay? He probably passed back out or something. We just have to wait for the flames to die away and then we’ll deal with him. We have guards, remember?”

Another scientist frowned and stood to his feet, “Wait, where  _ are  _ the guards?” he asked. “They were in here just before he collapsed and that fire wall blazed to life. Why aren’t they with us?”

“Their job is to take him out, not to worry about us. Maybe they got to him already.”

“No, I haven’t heard any gunfire.” another cut in. “Something’s wrong.”

Kerns shook his head and turned his back to the flames, which was a huge mistake on his part. “Look, we may have lost Huest, but that doesn’t mean that everything’s going to hell. I-”

He trailed off as he noticed fear starting to grow in the others’ eyes. “Wait, what’s the matter?” he asked.

The others pointed to the mass of flames behind him, noticing a huge, black shadow moving within them. It seemed as though the shadow was moving towards Kerns.

Kerns turned and took a step back as soon as he saw the shadow, “What the hell?”

Then, a huge clawed hand shot out of the flames and grabbed Kerns by his head and pulled him back into the flames. The scientists all screamed out, but found themselves unable to move as they heard a loud crunch and everything fell silent again.

“W-What was that?” one stammered, a crazed glaze covering his eyes. “A monster! A monster! I've got to get out of here!” 

He fled around the fire mass and froze in terror just as he came into the clearing. And he found what had happened to the guards. Each and every one of them had been torn to shreds by some unseen force. All of them had been brutally murdered. And by the same monster that had pulled Kerns into the flames. 

The ground rumbled as another roar sounded out and a terrified scream pierced the scientist's ears. Another one of his colleagues had been killed. He just knew it. 

He had a bad feeling that if this monster got out, the entirety of the Fridge would fall. It wasn't like he cared about the prisoners here; they were all absolute monsters in his book. But SHIELD couldn't afford to lose the Fridge. And there was no telling to what the demon would do to SHIELD if it got its way. It was clear that the creature hated the organization. It probably wanted to see everyone within it burn.

But who could blame it though? SHIELD had turned their back on him all because of an accident that he couldn't help at all. Grant Ward couldn't help that he was a monster by blood and that he was a danger. All he wanted was to finally have a good life.

And he could never get just that.

Another roar sounded out and something shot out of the flames, causing the scientist to fall to the ground. It grew dark as something leaned over him and blocked the lights. 

The thing was big, at least eight feet in size, and very, very bulky. Massive horns jutted out of its head and the sides of its face. A black, rock-like material covered its body like scales, peppered with numerous cracks that shone with a hellish light. A long and muscular tail drug the ground behind it as it bared its massive, razor-sharp fangs at the scientist. It reminded the scientist of the Hulk. If the Hulk was a demon with horns and claws. 

The beast momentarily turned around and the scientist could make out large spikes running down the length of its back. The creature was built for killing and that was one of the likely reasons to why it had been spawned.

To kill humans.

It seemed as though this beast already had a good start at that and there was no telling to how many more it would kill before it would be stopped. If it could be stopped. This thing was an absolute behemoth. Even though Grant Ward was a brute as a human, it was hard to believe that this  _ thing  _ came from him. And anyone that would end up getting in its way would be ultimately slaughtered. 

The monster growled and turned back to the scientist, baring its teeth again. It crouched down and reached out with a massive hand, pressing a claw against the man's throat. Before the scientist could react, the beast cut open his throat and turned to walk away.

The scientist found himself choking on his own blood and fighting for air. He watched as the beast growled and began to stalk out of the room, the ground cracking beneath its clawed feet as it went. 

Darkness began to overtake the scientist as his life bled out and he knew that the Fridge would fall. Today was the Fridge’s last day and everyone within the prison would face their end at the claws and flames of the monster. 

Everything faded away from the scientist as he swore that the monster had uttered a single word:

“ _ Skye _ .”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I finally updated something! Recovering from my surgery has been a little more draining than I thought and haven't felt like writing. But I'm starting to try now. Keep the comments and kudos coming!


	7. The Monster that I Depise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The situation continues to unfold.

(Later, Elsewhere)

Coulson’s stomach dropped as he received the horrible news. The Fridge had fallen; it had been all but destroyed and numerous people, agents and prisoners alike, had been slaughtered in the process. No one would tell him exactly what had done it, but there was this deep and dark feeling in the pit of his stomach that told him that he already knew. 

_ Grant _ .

But he refused to believe it. He refused to believe that his son could be capable of such a tragedy. So he locked it away and didn’t let the thought back out. He wanted to believe that another prisoner had escaped killed all those people; the body counts were around fifty something now. Only a  _ true  _ monster could be capable of such, something Grant was not. 

Unless the demon that had been hiding inside of him all along had finally broken out. Grant had been born for a reason and maybe it had finally shown itself. But Coulson refused to believe that the gold-hearted man was a blood-thirsty killer. Even if the escapee had been Grant, it truly hadn’t been him. Coulson knew that something had taken him over. 

SHIELD had somewhat fallen into chaos over the fact that the Fridge had been compromised. Whatever prisoners that hadn’t been killed had escaped, some of them being highly-dangerous gifteds. So there was a massive call to hunt them down. But the number one priority was to capture the monster that had been the cause of everything. A mission that Coulson had been all but shut out of. He wasn’t even allowed to know anything about it, a fact that told him that they were dealing with what used to be Grant Ward. 

Coulson wasn’t allowed to know about Grant’s well being now, not even Skye could know a single detail. So the higher-ups weren’t about to tell the agent that Grant had escaped and had killed dozens in the process. They weren’t going to acknowledge the fact that an ex-agent had been the cause of such a massive slaughter. That would end up being considered their fault since they hadn't dealt with the threat beforehand. Before everything would lead to a massive slaughter.

And, truly, if whatever that had broken out of the Fridge _ had  _ been Grant, there was really no hope at all for the man now. Coulson knew that SHIELD would send out all of their elite agents to track him down. Hell, SHIELD would more than likely coordinate with the military to get the job done. There would be a kill order out for Grant. And Coulson wouldn’t be surprised if Grant made it onto the news, alongside some bullshit story SHIELD had spun to keep his identity secret. But the world had to know somehow about how dangerous he really was.

Coulson just hoped that the being that had broken out really wasn’t Grant at all. Maybe he was just overthinking this. But it couldn’t be just a coincidence that something had gotten out of the Fridge a week after Grant had been imprisoned there. It just couldn’t be. 

_ “If it is him, maybe he won’t do anything destructive. Maybe he’ll find somewhere to hide.”  _ Coulson had thought.  _ “But he’s already condemned because of the breakout. SHIELD’ll kill him regardless. I just pray that he won’t fall to his urges and that this won’t be our end.  _

_ Grant could truly be the end of SHIELD.” _

 

(Elsewhere. Two Days Later.)

Skye looked up as something banged right outside of her apartment door. SHIELD had moved her here right after they had sent Grant away; something about Grant being a threat to her and moving her would help protect her from the ‘monster’. The reasoning had almost made her laugh. They honestly believed that Grant would hurt the very woman he loved? Skye swore that SHIELD was getting dumber by the day. But she had to admit, SHIELD had nice tastes, though. She absolutely loved the apartment, but she swore she would burn it down if she had to. 

She had also sworn that she would leave SHIELD once and for all once she had gotten Grant back. They no longer mattered to her now that she had realized who really mattered to her. Grant and Coulson was all that she needed, so she didn’t need SHIELD anymore. She would take Grant and they would run far away from here, perhaps to another country if they needed to. Neither of them needed to be with SHIELD anymore.

Another bang sounded right outside of the door and Skye immediately got up from the small couch and went toward it.  _ “Is someone trying to break in?”  _ she thought, readying a hand next to her in case she had to attack someone.  _ “It’s ten at night, no one would be visiting. SHIELD doesn’t care to talk to me anymore and Coulson’s been busy with trying to find a way to get Grant out. It has to be an intruder.”  _ She frowned as something scraped against the wood on the other side of the door as she reached for the handle.  _ “Guess I need to be prepared for-” _

Her thoughts faded away as she jerked the door open. She jumped back as something very big and bulky came crashing into the apartment with a grunt. The figure stayed on the floor for a while, giving Skye just enough time to study it. 

It was obviously a man, very tall and extremely bulky with muscle. Numerous scars and such littered his dirty arms. Torn and tattered clothing hung off of him. And something black seemed to be stuck underneath his shirt.

Skye already had an uneasy feeling to who it was, but one distinct feature told her  _ exactly  _ who it was. The man’s oddly pointy ears.

“ _ Grant _ ?!” she exclaimed, causing the figure to bolt up and scamper backwards a few feet. 

The fear in the man’s eyes immediately subsided as he realized who had spoken. He jumped to his feet and immediately took Skye into his massive arms, “Skye! It’s you!” he exclaimed, almost smothering her in his chest. “It’s you!”

Skye pushed him away in disbelief, only because she truly had no clue to just what was going on. The last she knew, Grant was imprisoned deep within a secure SHIELD prison. (She hadn’t heard about the breakout just yet.) “W-What?” she stammered, trying to take in his appearance. He was dirty and ragged. And he looked absolutely  _ miserable _ , like he was very sick for some reason. “How… How did you get here?” she asked, her voice falling to a mere whisper. 

She paused and quickly looked around the room. She went around Grant and closed the door behind them, locking it afterwards. Then, she quickly led Grant to the couch, not caring about the dirt on him, and forced him to sit down, giving him a blanket to wrap up with.

Grant wrapped the blanket tightly around him, as though he was either very cold or very scared. The latter was probably the case. He avoided Skye’s gaze and didn’t respond to her question.

Skye took a sharp breath and crouched down in front of him, “Grant, I’m not mad that you’re here. In fact, I’m very, very happy to see you. But I have no idea to how you got here.” she explained softly, gently taking one of his hands. “How did you get out of the Fridge?”

He was silent for a while, as though he hadn’t heard her at all. But he eventually looked back to her, fear brewing in his whiskey-brown eyes.

“I have no idea.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there you go. Grant's back with Skye, but with no memory of how he got there. Not good at all. So what will happen now? Keep the comments and kudos coming!

**Author's Note:**

> Just a what-if of the AU that is a homage to the original AU that spawned all of this! Find me on Tumblr @gears-of-ward !


End file.
